Sex Work

Sex workers are women, men and transgender people who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, and who consciously define those activities as income generating even if they do not consider sex work as their occupation.

The sex workers’ rights movement as we know it today initiated in some countries in France, Germany, and England in the late 1970s. In England, an organisation, English Collective of Prostitutes (ECP), was formed which campaigned for decriminalisation of sex work and sex workers’ right to recognition and safety. In France, a group of 20 sex workers occupied a church in Lyon to ask for decriminalisation of sex work in France and to abolish abusive practices against sex workers by the police. In Germany, too, a formal group of activists came together under group names Hydra in 1979 with the aim to form a self-help organisation. The group also campaigned for recognition of sex work and for de-stigmatisation of sex work.

The debates and discussions around sex work has evolved and has taken many shapes over the years. What constitutes as sex work? Is sex work work? Should it be regulated to minimise exploitation, or should it be abolished altogether? Can criminalising the purchaser provide a viable solution? How has debates around sex work shaped our understanding of sex? How does criminalising sex work affect their rights, well-being and health? How are anti-trafficking laws affecting sex workers? In this thematic resources bulletin, we present some selected resources that explore some of these debates around sex work.